Module 11: Information Processing & the Classroom Throughout my internship experience, I have seen various strategies to help students pay attention. As a teacher, I have always wondered what new and fresh methods I can apply to keep my students interesting in what they’re learning. As discussed in Module 11 of Ed Psych by Lisa Bohlin, Cheryl Durwin and Marla Weber, there are planning procedures to ensure students’ attention, attention signals to refocus students and strategies to keep students engaged.
In planning, my CT and I have adjusted students’ seating arrangements throughout the semester to determine the seating that will give each student the best environment to learn in. For example, the new addition to the class (“Annie”) was originally seated by “Andres”, a talkative English Language Learner. The pair distracted each other and were often speaking conversationally and off topic during group work. So, Annie was moved next to “Tamara”, an exceptionally well-behaved student who obeyed the rules of talking during learning. Attention signals have been credited as reminding students when to redirect attention. In the classroom, students are conditioned to the Whole Brain Teaching technique for attention getting. My CT or I says “Class, class”, and the students respond “yes, yes.” Beyond their oral response, the learners know to engage us in eye contact and stop what they are doing. I wonder what other aspects of Whole Brain teaching will be applied in the classroom and if their affect will be significant? My CT is attending a workshop next month, and I am excited to see the strategies she learns and applies. In order to keep students engaged, the Ed Psych Modules book recommends encouraging interaction and getting students physically involved. For science, students do group activities with their table. While working on the concept of sorting, the learners have worked together to organize shapes they were given. Cooperative learning with a peer interests young learners, who consider all of those around them a friend. I wonder if students would benefit more by picking their own partners? The kindergartners are not able to make judgments about whose learning and work styles would correspond best with their own, but could their friend preference indicate academic success or impedance? By reading their body language, my CT and I can identify when students are hyper and too easily distracted to learn effectively, so we have them dance and sing along to a “Stand-Up Song”. These educational songs provoke movement and allow students to feed off excess energy, and their focus and attention are back as a result. Providing frequent breaks and reading students’ body language respects students’ attention limits. (431 words)
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